It is safe to say that it isn’t a shock that I am a massive fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Because of that, it’s a shock to nobody that the Pens making playoffs since the 2021-2022 season makes me incredibly happy. Yet what I didn’t expect to be is emotional over the “Flip the Script” campaign that followed the April 9th game win against the Devils that cinched their Playoff spot.
This is not the ad campaign that I was expecting when we made the playoffs, but now that I have had a few weeks to think about it, I am not sure what I did expect. I have become used to the ragging that Penguins fans receive from basically everyone, and I think that is what makes this campaign so special, not only to the fans but to the organization as a whole. The Pens were written off by everyone, Vegas betters assumed there was no way we would make it, and even I have ragged on my own team about “wondering when we are going to mess this up.” In December, being told that we stopped fighting for a spot and that it was expected because “we always give up.” The fight we gave after that absolutely proved all those critics wrong. I have been lucky enough to attend games from preseason to one of the last group of home games, and I would be lying if I said I saw no difference as the season went along. Even the fans who were heavily skeptical of this rewrite, new coach, and rookie players started to fill the stadium and bring an energy that PPG has been lacking the last couple of years.
This ad campaign has not only resonated with the fans but with the people within the corporation as a whole. In the last week, I have seen across LinkedIn and X nothing but love and appreciation for this campaign and the genuine effects that it has had. The Marketing Department connected with everyone who has ever worked for Penguins hockey in general. There is not one person in this community who did not work hard towards the outcome of this season and the April 9th game. Everyone behind the scenes and the fan support made this happen; together as a community, we “flipped the script.” While some may say that I am a little biased when I say this, I truly do not think there is any team that deserved this more than the Penguins.
This regular season, the Penguins Foundation raised over $7.5 million and has continued to use them, making it to the playoffs as an opportunity to make a difference with the “flip the script sweepstakes” where you had the option to donate for a chance to win tickets to the first game of the playoffs at PPG. “Flipping the script” goes so much further than just the game of hockey. These players and the organization have, as a whole, changed the lives of so many individuals, many doing so anonymously as well.
With all of that said, I am very excited for the playoffs and love this campaign. When I think of this hockey season, this campaign will be one of the first things to come to mind! Rumor also has it that Summer 2026 is the new Summer 2016. If that’s the case, I guess we will have another Cup in the bag sooner than we ever thought.